Emotional abuse was the biggest predictor of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

Yet another link between emotional stress and our physical well-being has been established. According to the latest study, patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have a significantly greater prevalence of early adverse life events , including general trauma as well as physical, emotional and sexual abuse. 

“Various types of early adverse events are associated with the development of irritable bowel syndrome, particularly among women,” said Lin Chang, MD, of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and lead author of this study. “Addressing early adverse events and associated psychological symptoms in these patients is important and may help guide management approaches that reduce symptoms and improve overall well-being.”

The Mind-Body Connection

Although associations between an abuse history and IBS have been reported before, in the current study, researchers aimed to assess simultaneously the association of a range of traumatic events — not limited to abuse — with IBS and the impact of differences in gender and psychological factors on these associations. 

Compared with controls, IBS patients reported a higher prevalence of general trauma, physical punishment, emotional abuse and sexual events. These events included witnessing violence, mental illness in the family, emotional abuse, and being forced to touch intimate parts of a person’s body or have genital sex. These significant differences were observed mainly in women.

Emotional abuse was the strongest predictor of IBS. Further, the strength of the relationship between the early trauma and IBS was reduced after controlling for the presence of psychological and other non-gastrointestinal symptoms. These events appear to be associated with an increased vulnerability toward developing functional gastrointestinal disorders, including IBS.

April 2, 2012
The Healthy Mind Network

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The above story contains original content and/or information reprinted and editorially adapted by The Healthy Mind. Material is provided by the American Gastroenterology Association and EurekAlerts. 

Image Credit: E. Erin 

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